Used 2004 Volvo S60 Sedan Consumer Reviews
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not for me, 02/02/2010
2004 Volvo S60 2.5T AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A)
5 of 8 people found this review helpful
I've had this car for about 2 and a half years and am looking forward to getting rid of it. I traded in an f 150 for this car because of gas mileage and I still wanted 4wd. I've spent over 6k in repairs, keeping the truck was a better idea. It looks good on the outside, but with new tires and awd winters are still difficult. Gas mileage is good but too many awkward things. When I turn left it makes an odd noise, but drives fine. The carpet inside has torn in odd places. If I use the cd/cassette player the drivers side speakers don't work. I cant warm my car up without being in it because you cant lock the doors with the other keyless remove with the car running. I wont be buying another
Volvo S60 Trusted Vehicle
Edan S., 07/27/2017
updated 02/08/2021
2004 Volvo S60 2.5T AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A)
5 of 8 people found this review helpful
I bought my S60 to replace my 2000 Volvo V70, which I loved. I sort of bought this car because I was getting reading to take a winter road trip to Montana and wanted something with AWD. I would have preferred an XC-70, but couldn't find one for the right price or in the time I allotted myself. I ended up seeing my S60 for sale at the local Mercedes dealership for $6995 with 102,000 miles. It was a one-owner vehicle purchased from and always serviced on time at the local Volvo dealership in town. I threw a new set of tires on, some sheepskin seat covers and some OEM all-weather mats (all good purchases). So the car, it's much smoother than my old wagon, great acceleration despite the additional 600lbs of the Haldex AWD system, decent gas mileage and road handling.bLike all Volvos, the seats are supremely comfortable--second-to-none! My car's trial by fire was a 900+ mile road trip to from Nevada to Montana in December amid regular blizzards and arctic temperatures. My gas mileage was pretty decent, around 28mpg at over 80mph most of the time (regularly around 21mpg for mixed everyday driving). As with most vehicle, it handled really poorly on ice, it did however, do great in the snow. I do wish though for deeper snow that it hadn't been quite so low to the ground. Much to my surprise yet again, the A/C and heating systems were some of the best I've encountered! Some of the other reviews have mentioned the cramped nature of the backseats, that is true, it's very tight with a full-size adult sitting back there. The trunk while spacious has a fairly narrow opening which makes it a difficult to put some things in. I have a wheeled cooler that I like to take to the beach which often has to sit on the backseat rather than in the trunk. Overall, I don't have a lot of gripes with this car over four years of ownership. I enjoyed driving it and it was s sharp-looking car. One of my biggest concerns though was all the creaks, groans, and clunks I was experiencing from the frontend. I ended up having a lot of the components replaced in an attempt to fix this. Update: The S60 is still going as strong as ever. I've since done the brakes and had a bunch of bushing and strut mounts replaced at the dealership, but that's about it other than regular maintenance (oil, spark plugs, air filter, etc). I did have a coyote run into my car and had to have some bodywork done, but that good because it fixed the front bumper sag too. It looks just as good as ever now too. People often remark on my "new Volvo," but it's actually 16 years old. I'll end by saying that it's never failed me, and took over in many instances when my wife's Audi Q5 did fail. I'd buy another one in a second! Update: Sold the S60 several years back to a gentleman in Tahoe. It was still running and driving perfectly at the time of the sale. I do miss it, but wanted something a bit more utilitarian. I see less and less of these on the roads nowadays, but would buy one again if given the chance. It was a very enjoyable and trustworthy car.
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anticipate high cost of ownership
John, 05/01/2010
2004 Volvo S60 2.5T AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A)
8 of 18 people found this review helpful
I am at 85K miles now. Repairs to date: all valves replaced, power steering pump replaced, multiple hoses replaced; etc. Far higher cost of ownership than prior cars; S60 was supposed to be a field proven model. I can't tell if my dealership is exploiting me or if the car is just built to fall apart. My other vehicle, a 97 Honda Civic, is bombproof - no major repairs, >> 100K miles. I will not buy another Volvo; for the price and maintenance, the math is not compelling.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAR!!!
Vick M., 03/22/2017
2004 Volvo S60 2.5T Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A)
8 of 19 people found this review helpful
Reading the reviews on here, I can't believe my eyes. But then I see that most people raving about this car also say this is one of the only cars they've ever owned, so that puts things into context. This is HORRIBLY EXPENSIVE AND UNRELIABLE CAR. I'll get into that in a little while, but let me list the pros and cons before I list all the reliability issues. Pros - Exterior has a classic, timeless look. Not unlike a similar year BMW 5 Series. - Luxury car with low resale value, inexpensive to buy - Great Handling on corners - Turbo Engine available with non-premium gas Cons - TURNING RADIUS IS THE WORST IVE EVER SEEN IN A SEDAN. - Horribly designed cabin. Cheap hard plastic at literally all of the places you rest your knees when you drive. (Door handle and side of middle gear shift console). - Small back window and poor visibility - Fuel Economy is crap. It's 19/27 and most of the 3 years I spent driving this car, I averaged sub 21 mpg. It's only recently with 90% highway driving that I'm getting 24 mpg combined - Sound System and Speakers are lacking - Center console/dash is just ugly - Green interior lights give it a 1980s feel. My 03 Honda Accord Coupe had red and gray. Now for the REAL problem. I bought this used with 75K and am now at 120K. I made the decision early on not to put money into this vehicle unless it was for required maintenance Best decision I've made as it has saved me over 10K in repairs in that time. - CD Player doesn't eject any CDs or take any CDs in. On/Off button is glitchy, and there is an electrical short somewhere in the car that I'm 90 % sure is related to the non-working audio system. I haven't used it AT ALL for the last 15K miles because it almost killed me, twice. - That electrical short, on TWO occasions, KNOCKED OUT THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER AND MY CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE! I HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE AND CALL TRIPLE AAA. I literally haven't turned on stereo since because I'm scared for my life when I drive this car. Both times the transmission shop said that nothing can be done because the short is ruining the transmission computer unless I want to spend hundreds of dollars to find the short. Better not to use the stereo at all. - The driver's side leather seat has completely ripped at both sides. The passenger's side power window adjuster broke so now I can't use that window (the part is 300+) and the shocks on that side are messed up too. - There is rattling from 3 or 4 different areas and the window noise from the passenger's side window is super loud. - The Fuel gauge is idiotic. 75-80% of your car fuel can be used and still be on half way and then the other half of your fuel gauge empties out incredibly quickly. This is a HORRIBLE car. I had a 03 Honda Accord coupe that was in a frontal collision and drove for 130K miles with absolutely no problems even coming close to the issues I've had with this car. STAY AWAY.
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
The best car that I could find for ~$30k
Straightnochaser, 05/08/2004
2004 Volvo S60 2.5T Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
One of the smartest buys in my life. I bought it for my mother that I respect and love so much. I searched & researched hard for the best car available in terms of style, performance, safety, luxury and build reputation. Volvo IS it, my friend, and there is no doubt about it. Look forward many years to see what Volvo is really made of.